I’m a salesman. I sell online training.

I write about sales, because I make sales. Today I had two sales calls. Both at the same time. One with an existing customer and one with a prospective customer.

REAL WORLD: During every sales call, no matter where it takes place, while you are trying to qualify the customer, they are trying to qualify you. I found a strategy where I qualify myself to the customer first, so that they become relaxed, open and confident about doing business with me.

Let me share a reality about how I make sales, so that you might try to make your sales the same way.

I make friends with my customers before I start to talk business. I believe that friendship is the basis for open communication. I am friendly and I hope that my friendliness is contagious. Begin the sales call by getting to know each other. Open talk, laughter, sharing stories, finding solid common ground.

I establish rapport with them by finding common ground. By communicating conversationally, the atmosphere is relaxed and communication is more open. The conversation is natural, not salesy.

I sell on my home court. More than 50 percent of my sales appointments take place at my office, where I have total control of the environment and all of my sales aids at my disposal. My team is there with me if I need them, and having my resources at my fingertips, I have a decided advantage. My business personality and my human personality are evident when I’m relaxed on my home turf.

I introduce everyone to everyone. It’s important that I honor my guests and respect my fellow workers by introducing one to another and spending a few moments exchanging details and pleasantries. It creates an atmosphere of warmth and begins to create credibility in the mind of the customer. They can see what they are about to buy and they can meet the people they’ll be dealing with.

I entertain them and I feed them. I find that when I am eating with someone the conversation strays from business. And the more personal the customer is willing to be with me, the more likely I am to gain the sale. While we’re talking, there’s fruit and cheese. Food relaxes people.

I engage them. I talk about their business. I find out their present circumstance, their key motivators and the core issues that are driving their current actions (or reactions). I don’t probe, I engage. By engaging, I am able to elicit full answers and exchange meaningful data. I have studied their business before the meeting started, so that I don’t have to ask stupid questions. And because they already know me and feel good about me, I am able to get truthful answers and ascertain key facts. I also believe that because this meeting is taking place in my meeting room, rather than theirs, they feel more open about sharing information. I can’t really explain why; it just is.

I provide them tangible value. I take customers into my studio and record an actual lesson that would be used in any training we would agree to. The message is pre-prepared, pre-written, totally about their business and their issues, and drives home value points that prove I could help them. In other words, I show them what I can do for them, not tell them what I can do for them.

I WOW! them, every way I can. Every action I take has a WOW! factor, because I execute the actions the best way possible. BEST is in everything I do.

I ask for the sale, but only after I know they are eager to buy. The energy level at the end of the day is so high, I don’t even have to ask for more business – they ask to buy. (WOW!)

BOTTOM LINE OF SALES: My customer speaks louder for my capability than I do. My customer is proof that I can support my claims.

BOTTOM LINE OF BUSINESS: I’m not always looking to make a sale. I’m looking to build a relationship, part of which is a business relationship. And sales follow. Big sales.

Bringing customers to your home turf? If you’d like more on how give a proper tour of your office that blends engagement with confidence building, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you are a first-time user, and enter the word TOUR in the GitBit box.



Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.

© 2006 Jeffrey H. Gitomer